Newcastle United have slapped a #750,000 fee on their 22-year-old central defender Steve Caldwell.

Newcastle United have slapped a #750,000 fee on their 22-year-old central defender Steve Caldwell.

This is in advance of United expecting derisory bids for the Scottish international defender.

Caldwell will definitely leave St James's Park in the next couple of weeks even though he was considered good enough to keep the #5 million Titus Bramble out of Sir Bobby Robson's line-up at the end of last season.

And the two leading contenders for Caldwell's signature are Rangers and Sporting Lisbon, with the Portuguese outfit probably the favourites.

But there is already talk of a #250,000 bid which will be immediately dismissed by United.

Indeed, United will probably take a chance on an independent tribunal and hope they fare better than in two previous experiences involving Scottish internationals.

First United had to pay Spurs #650,000 for Garry Brady, who never hit it off at St James's Park, and then they had to cough up #600,000 to Aberdeen for Stephen Glass, who never pulled up many trees in his time on Tyneside.

Independent tribunals always seem to come down on the side of the buying club and certainly United could have no complaints when it was decided that they should only pay Blackburn #1.5 million for Shay Given in 1997.

United will point out that Caldwell is a current Scottish international and has played Champions League football in the past 12 months.

United, of course, have done business with Sporting Lisbon in the past 12 months, paying #8.5 million for Hugo Viana.

United can be excused for wanting #750,000 of that money back from the Portuguese side.

There has been talk over the weekend that Sunderland were ready to move for Caldwell, but that is way off the mark.